Liz Carmouche came thisclose to defeating Ronda Rousey in the first women's fight in UFC history.

Early in February's fight for the women's bantamweight title, Carmouche surprised the crowd inside Anaheim's Honda Center by locking in a choke on Rousey, the overwhelming favorite.

Rousey eventually escaped the choke and finished the fight with her trademark armbar. Carmouche virtually beamed throughout the post-fight press conference. She may have been the most gracious loser you've ever seen.

After all, Carmouche had journeyed a long way to get to this point, serving three tours of duty in Iraq, becoming the first openly gay fighter to compete in the UFC, struggling to find an affordable kitchen table. That she had come seconds away from beating the unbeaten Rousey validated her journey, which, given her talent and work ethic, figures to see more peaks than valleys.

But the valleys can be daunting.

Carmouche faces a long climb after her latest loss, a unanimous decision against Alexis Davis last week at UFC Fight Night 31. The San Diego resident, who fell to 1-2 in the UFC and 9-4 overall, may never again come close to beating Rousey. The more immediate problem is getting another shot in the first place.

Davis's relentless aggression proved to be a deadly foil for Carmouche's surprisingly timid approach. While most expected Davis, a submission specialist, to take the fight to the ground, she instead showed another facet to her game.

Pressing the action with precise leg kicks, Davis found those strikes largely undefended in the first round. By the middle of the round, Davis had landed enough inside-leg kicks to leave Carmouche slightly hobbled.

In the second round, Carmouche buckled further against Davis's kicks. She did manage to land a big right hand, opening a gash above Davis's left eye, but even then Davis continued to drive Carmouche back. At that point the damage to Carmouche's lower body was far more significant.

Realizing her disadvantage, Carmouche went for the knockout in the final round, but without solid footing failed to connect on more than a few punches. All three judges would score the fight in favor of Davis, who may next challenge the winner of Rousey-Miesha Tate, scheduled for UFC 168 in December.

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Had she won the fight, Carmouche might have an even stronger argument for a title fight, given how close she came to toppling Rousey. Instead, she fell back at least a few places in a line where any weakness is instantly magnified.

Carmouche's primary shortcoming has been her defense. Entering last week, all but one of her losses had come via tap-out. She has shined against opponents willing to stand and trade strikes, as she did in her previous fight, which ended in a second-round knockout of Jessica Andrade. Against Davis's standup, though, Carmouche was caught off guard. Her mid-fight adjustments arrived closer to the end than the beginning.

All that said, Carmouche remains a powerful striker and a strong grappler, with the work ethic to match. A fight against the rising Amanda Nunes, who won on UFC Fight Night 31's preliminary card, could be next. Until then, the climb back toward a potential title shot begins with an improved defensive game plan.